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It does not appear that other astronauts, like the Apollo 11 mission, will soon land on the Moon.
It does not appear that other astronauts, like the Apollo 11 mission, will dock the moon soon.
Astronaut Harrison Schmitt poses in 1972 with Earth in the lunar sky. Schmitt was later an American senator. In 1984, he declared that the nation needed "mission control" to deal with major emergencies such as terrorism.
Astronaut Harrison Schmitt poses in 1972 with Earth in the lunar sky. Schmitt was later an American senator. In 1984, he declared that the nation needed "mission control" to deal with major emergencies such as terrorism.
Photo: EUGENE CERNAN, KRT FileThe astronaut Gene Cernan was a member of Apollo 17 in 1972. It is seen here, with the Earth in the background, holding an American flag.
The astronaut Gene Cernan was a member of Apollo 17 in 1972. He is shown here, with the Earth in the background, holding an American flag.
Photo: NASA FileHarrison Jack Schmitt on the moon with the raised tool and the Earth on the rise in the background
Harrison Jack Schmitt on the moon with the raised tool and the Earth on the rise back plan.
Photo: NASA FileHarrison Schmitt discovers an orange floor during a walk on the moon
Harrison Schmitt discovers an orange floor during a walk on the moon.
Photo: NASA FileThe Earth Rises on the Moon, Captured from the Lunar Surface with the Cameras of the Apollo 17 Astronauts.
The Earth Rises on the Moon, Captured from the Lunar Surface with the Astronaut's Cameras Apollo 17. [19659047] Photo: NASA file
The Taurus Valley Littrow, landing place of Apollo 17.
The Valley of Taurus Littrow, landing place of Apollo 17.
Photo: NASA FileThe lunar lander with Gene Cernan of Apollo 17 and Harrison Jack Schmitt elance from the moon to the command module with astronaut Ron Evans.
The lunar lander with Gene Cernan and Harrison Jack Schmitt of Apollo 17 command module with astronaut Ron Evans.
Photo: NASA FileGeologist Harrison Schmitt collects moon samples for Apollo 17, the last lunar mission in 1972.
Geologist Harrison Schmitt collects moon samples for Apollo 17, the last lunar mission in 1972. [19659046]: NASA File
Astronaut John Young, who was part of the Apollo 16 mission on the moon in April 1972, salutes the American flag after it's been planted on the lunar surface
L & # 39; Astronaut John Young, who was part of the Apollo 16 mission to the moon in April 1972, salutes the American flag after it has been planted on the lunar surface.
Photo: AP FilePart of a composite photo made by Gene Cernan of Apollo 17 in 1972. Harrison Schmitt is on the left
Part of a composite photo directed by Gene Cernan of Apollo 17 in 1972. Harrison Schmitt is on the left.
Photo: NASA, Knopf FileTraces made by extraterrestrials shine under the sunlight in this photo of Alan Shepard during the Apollo 14 lunar mission in 1971.
Traces of extraterrestrial earthlings shine in full sun on this photo of Alan Shepard during the moon Apollo 14 mission in 1971.
Photo: NASA, Knopf FileAstronaut Harrison H. Schmitt works next to a big rock during the third extravehicular activity of Apollo 17 on the moon, December 13, 1972.
The astronaut Harrison H. Schmitt works next to a big rock during the Third Extravehicular Activity of Apollo 17 on the Moon, December 13, 1972.
Photo: AP FileThis oblique photograph of the moon usually looks to the northwest in the Sea of Tranquility, projected landing site for the Apollo 11 astronauts. This image was made from the spaceship Apollo 8.
This oblique photograph of the moon usually looks to the northwest in the Sea of Tranquility, projected landing site for Apollo 11 astronauts. This image was made from of the Apollo 8 spacecraft.
Photo: NASA, Associated PressAstronaut Alan B. Shepard stands with the American flag on the lunar surface in this February 1971 issue photo. Shepard was the first American to fly in space and the fifth human to walk on the moon.
Astronaut Alan B. Shepard stands with the American flag on the lunar surface in this February 1971 file photo. Shepard was the first American to fly in space and the fifth human to walk on the moon.
Photo: AP FileAstronaut Eugene A. Cernan performs a brief check of the lunar vehicle flying at the start of the first Apollo 17 (EVA-1) spacewalk activity at the landing site of Taurus Littrow.
Astronaut Eugene A. Cernan makes a brief check of the Lunar Roving Vehicle at the start of the first Apollo 17 (EVA-1) extravehicular activity at the Taurus Littrow landing site
Photo: Harrison Schmitt, NASAEdwin E. Aldrin Jr. walking on the surface of the moon
Edwin E. Aldrin Jr. walking on the surface of the moon
Photo: NASA, AFP / Getty Images FileOn July 21, 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin "take a small step for the man" on the Moon.
On July 21, 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin "take a small step for the man" & # 39; & # 39; on the moon.
Photo: Chronicle FileAstronaut Edwin E. Aldrin poses for a photo next to the American flag deployed on the moon during the Apollo 11 mission on July 20, 1969.
Astronaut Edwin E. Aldrin poses for a photo beside the American flag deployed on the Moon during the Apollo 11 mission on July 20, 1969.
Photo: NEIL ARMSTRONG, AP FileAstronaut James Lovell Jr. was commander of the lunar landing mission of Apollo 13 who developed problems in space, leading to his now famous expression.
The astronaut James Lovell Jr. was the commander of the Apollo 13 lunar landing mission problems in space, leading to his now famous expression.
Photo: NASAAstronaut Alan Shepard Jr. was monitoring communications between the Apollo 13 spacecraft and the Mission Control Center in this 14 April 1970 photo at the Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston
The Astronaut Alan Shepard Jr. was monitoring communications between the Apollo 13 spacecraft and the Mission Control Center in this 14 April 1970 photo at the Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston.
Photo: APThe 1995 film Apollo 13 starring Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon and Bill Paxton, won 2 Oscars and was nominated for several others.
The 1995 film Apollo 13 starring Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon and Bill Paxton won 2 Oscars and was nominated for several others.
- The Last Time That A Person The moon was visited in December 1972, when NASA's Apollo 17 mission
- NASA has been planning to send people back to the moon over the decades but has not yet succeeded
- . return to the lunar surface are budgetary and political obstacles – not scientific or technical challenges.
- Private companies like Blue Origin or SpaceX may be the first entities to send people back to the moon.
Landing 12 people on the moon remains one of NASA's greatest achievements, though
The astronauts collected stones, took pictures, conducted experiments, planted flags, and then returned home. But these stays of a week during the Apollo program have not established a lasting human presence on the moon.
More than 45 years after the last landing on the moon crewed – Apollo 17 in December 1972 – there are plenty of reasons to return Researchers and contractors believe that a crewed base on the moon could become a fuel depot for missions in the deep space, lead to the creation of unprecedented space telescopes, facilitate life on Mars, and solve long-standing scientific mysteries on Earth and the creation of the moon. A lunar base could even become a thriving economy, perhaps built around lunar space tourism
"A permanent human research station on the moon is the next logical step, three days away." That's wrong , and not kill everyone, "recently told former astronaut Chris Hadfield at Business Insider." And we have a whole lot of things that we have to invent and then test in order to learn before we start. " to go further. "
But many astronauts and other experts suggest the greatest obstacles to crewed lunar missions over the past four years – the more deceptive if not depressing decades have been. 19659127] It's really expensive to arrive at the moon – but not so expensive
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A test and a truth The high cost of a space flight program, in particular for missions involving people, is a significant cost
. A law signed in March 2017 by Donald Trump gives NASA an annual budget of about $ 19.5 billion.
One or the other amount looks like a boon – until you consider that the total is divided between all divisions of the agency and ambitious projects: the telescope James Webb Space, the giant rocket project called Space Launch System and distant missions. the sun, Jupite r, Mars, the asteroid belt, the Kuiper belt and the edge of the solar system. (In contrast, the US military has a budget of about $ 600 billion a year, including a project – the modernization and expansion of the US nuclear arsenal – could cost up to $ 1.7 trillion over 30 years.)
More "NASA's share in the federal budget peaked at 4% in 1965. For 40 years, it has remained below 1 %, and for 15 years "The Apollo 7 astronaut, Walter Cunningham, said during a congressional testimony in 2015.
Trump's budget calls for a return to the Moon , then to an orbital visit on Mars. But given the huge costs and delays of NASA's SLS rocket program, there may not be enough money to reach one or the other destination, even if the International Space Station is quickly disconnected. the moon would cost about $ 104 billion (or $ 133 billion today, with inflation) over about 13 years. The Apollo program cost about $ 120 billion dollars today (19659123) "Human exploration is the most expensive space enterprise and, therefore, the most difficult to obtain. political support, "said Cunningham. "Unless the country, which is Congress here, decides to put in more money, it's just what we do here."
Referring to Mars' missions and returning to the moon, Cunningham adds, "NASA's budget is too low to do all the things we've talked about here."
The problem with presidents
Reuters / Carlos Barria
The immediate goal of the Trump administration is to bring astronauts to the "vicinity of the moon" in 2023. That would be towards the end of this which could be Trump's second term if he is re-elected.
And therein lies another major problem: the partisan political lash
"Why would you believe what a president said about a prediction of something that would happen two administrations in the future? " Hadfield said. "It's just a conversation."
From the point of view of astronauts, it is the mission. The process of designing, engineering and testing a spaceship that could allow people to access another world lasts much longer than a president. two terms. But there is a predictable trend of incoming presidents and legislators who cancel the space leader's previous space exploration priorities.
10 Things to Know About NASA's Plan to Go on the Moon, March
10 Things to Know About NASA's Plan to Go on the Moon , March
The new engineering analysis, presented by Apollo luminaries such as astronaut Buzz Aldrin and the Flight director Chris Kraft, suggests that the agency could put humans on the moon in 2021 for about $ 10 billion, and establish a permanent presence later this decade.
lessThe New Engineering Analysis, touted by Apollo luminaries such that astronaut Buzz Aldrin and flight director Chris Kraft, suggests agency
… moreNASA claims that by building its own large rocket, the Space Launch System, it paves the way for a Mars landing of its astronauts in the 2030s.
NASA states that By building his own large rocket, the Space Launch System, he sets the stage for a Mars landing by his astronauts in the 2030s.
Photo: NASA / MSFC"Je voudrais que le prochain président soutienne un budget qui nous permette d'accomplir la mission qu'on nous demande d'accomplir, quelle que soit cette mission », a écrit l'astronaute Scott Kelly, qui a passé une année dans l'espace, lors d'une session de Reddit Ask Me Anything en janvier 2016 (avant que Trump ne prenne ses fonctions)
Mais les présidents et le Congrès ne semblent pas se soucier de maintenir le cap. 19659125] En 2004, par exemple, l'administration Bush a chargé la NASA de trouver un moyen de remplacer la navette spatiale, qui devait prendre sa retraite, et de retourner sur la Lune. The agency came up with the Constellation program to land astronauts on the moon, using a rocket called Ares and a spaceship called Orion.
NASA spent $9 billion over five years designing, building, and testing hardware for that human spaceflight program. Yet after President Barack Obama took office — and the Government Accountability Office released a report about NASA's inability to estimate Constellation's cost — Obama pushed to scrap the program and signed off on the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket instead.
Trump hasn't scrapped SLS. But he did change Obama's goal of launching astronauts to an asteroid to moon and Mars missions.
Such frequent changes to NASA's expensive priorities has led to cancellation after cancellation, a loss of about $20 billion, and years of wasted time and momentum.
"I'm disappointed that they're so slow and trying to do something else," Apollo 8 astronaut Jim Lovell told Business Insider in 2017. "I'm not excited about anything in the near future. I'll just see things as they come."
Buzz Aldrin said in a 2015 testimony to Congress that he believes the will to return to the moon must come from Capitol Hill.
"American leadership is inspiring the world by consistently doing what no other nation is capable of doing. We demonstrated that for a brief time 45 years ago. I do not believe we have done it since," Aldrin wrote in a prepared statement. "I believe it begins with a bi-partisan Congressional and Administration commitment to sustained leadership."
The real driving force behind that government commitment to return to the moon is the will of the American people, who vote for politicians and help shape their policy priorities. But public interest in lunar exploration has always been lukewarm.
Even at the height of the Apollo program — after Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin stepped onto the lunar surface — only 53% of Americans thought the program was worth the cost. Most of the rest of the time, US approval of Apollo hovered significantly below 50%.
Today, 55% of Americans think NASA should make returning to the moon a priority, though only a quarter of those believers think it should be a top priority, according to a Pew Research Center poll released in June. But 44% of people surveyed by the poll think sending astronauts back to the moon shouldn't be done at all.
Support for crewed Mars exploration is stronger, with 63% believing it should be a NASA priority, and 91% of people think scanning the skies for killer asteroids is important.
The challenges beyond politics
NASA
The political tug-of-war over NASA's mission and budget isn't the only reason people haven't returned to the moon. The moon is also a 4.5-billion-year-old death trap for humans, and must not be trifled with or underestimated.
Its surface is littered with craters and boulders that threaten safe landings. Leading up to the first moon landing in 1969, the US government spent what would be billions in today's dollars to develop, launch, and deliver satellites to the moon to could map its surface and help mission planners scout for possible Apollo landing sites.
But a bigger worry is what eons of meteorite impacts has created: regolith, also called moon dust.
Madhu Thangavelu, an aeronautical engineer at the University of Southern California, wrote in 2014 that the moon is covered in "a fine, talc-like top layer of lunar dust, several inches deep in some regions, which is electro-statically charged through interaction with the solar wind and is very abrasive and clingy, fouling up spacesuits, vehicles and systems very quickly."
Peggy Whitson, an astronaut who lived in space for a total of 665 days, recently told Business Insider that the Apollo missions "had a lot of problems with dust."
"If we're going to spend long durations and build permanent habitat s, we have to figure out how to handle that," Whitson said.
There's also a problem with sunlight. For 14.75 days at a time, the lunar surface is a boiling hellscape that is exposed directly to the sun's harsh rays — the moon has no protective atmosphere. The next 14.75 days are in total darkness, making the moon's surface one of the coldest places in the universe.
A small nuclear reactor being developed by NASA, called Kilopower, could supply astronauts with electricity during weeks-long lunar nights — and would be useful on other worlds, including Mars.
"There is not a more environmentally unforgiving or harsher place to live than the moon," Thangavelu wrote. "And yet, since it is so close to the Earth, there is not a better place to learn how to live, away from planet Earth."
NASA has designed dust- and sun-resistant spacesuits and rovers, though it's uncertain if that equipment is anywhere near ready to launch, as some of it was part of the now-canceled Constellation program.
A generation of billionaire 'space nuts' may get there
SpaceX/YouTube
A suite of moon-capable rockets is on the horizon.
"There's this generation of billionaires who are space nuts, which is great," astronaut Jeffrey Hoffman told journalists during a roundtable earlier this year. "The innovation that's been going on over the last 10 years in spaceflight never would've happened if it was just NASA and Boeing and Lockheed. Because there was no motivation to reduce the cost or change the way we do it."
Hoffman is referring to the work by Elon Musk and his rocket company, SpaceX, as well as that of Jeff Bezos, who runs a secretive aerospace company called Blue Origin.
"There's no question — if we're going to go farther, especially if we're going to go farther than the moon — we need new transportation," Hoffman added. "Right now we're still in the horse-and-buggy days of spaceflight."
Many astronauts' desire to return to the moon fits into Bezos' long-term vision. Bezos has floated a plan around Washington to start building the first moon base using Blue Origin's upcoming New Glenn rocket system. In April, he said, "we will move all heavy industry off of Earth, and Earth will be zoned residential and light industry."
Musk has also spoken at length about how SpaceX's in-development "Big Falcon Rocket" could pave the way for affordable, regular lunar visits. SpaceX might even visit the moon before NASA or Blue Origin. The company's new Falcon Heavy rocket is capable of launching a small Crew Dragon space capsule past the moon and back to Earth — and Musk has said two private citizens have already paid a large deposit to go on the voyage.
"My dream would be that, some day, the moon would become part of the economic sphere of the Earth — just like geostationary orbit and low-Earth orbit," Hoffman said. "Space out as far as geostationary orbit is part of our everyday economy. Some day I think the moon will be, and that's something to work for."
Astronauts don't doubt we'll get back to the moon, and on to Mars. It's just a matter of when.
"I guess eventually, things will come to pass where they will go back to the moon and eventually go to Mars, probably not in my lifetime," Lovell said. "Hopefully they'll be successful."
Correction: A previous version of this story used an incorrect number of moonwalkers. During NASA's Apollo program, 12 people landed on the moon, not 14 people. We regret this astronomical error.
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